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That Nest in BirdhousesBlack-bellied Whistling Duck
(Black-bellied Tree Duck, Mexican Duck)
Dendrocygna autumnalis
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Dendrocygna
Species: autumnalis
La. anser goose
La. forma form, shape, kind
Gr. anous foolish
La. anas duck
La. idae appearance, resemblance
Gr. dendro tree
La. cygna swan
La. autumnalis autumn
Goose-like appearance. Long neck, long pink legs, pinkish bill and feet, brown eyes, mostly gray head and neck, brownish breast and back, and black belly and under tail coverts. Males and females look alike.

Northern black-bellied whistling ducks breed from southern Arizona and south-central and southeastern Texas through Mexico and Central America. A southern race breeds from Panama to southern Brazil and northern Argentina. Birds at the extreme northern and southern limits migrate.
They forage for aquatic plants, seeds, invertebrates and insects and forage in grain fields in the fall.
Black-bellied whistling ducks build nests of a few feathers and down in hollow trees over, near or sometimes a distance from water and sometimes and on the ground. Nests have been discovered in barns, machinery, containers and chimneys.

They readily nest in nest boxes of the right dimensions in the right places.
Females lay about 9 to 18 white or cream-white eggs which hatch after about 4 weeks incubation. A day or two later parents lead ducklings to water where they learn to forage for insects, spiders and snails and they fly at about two months age. They raise two broods in a season.
Black-bellied Whistling Duck Nest Box
The black-bellied whistling duck nest box has a 12″ by 12″ floor, 22″ inside floor to ceiling, a very large 6″ wide by 4″ high entrance opening located 19″ above the floor (to the top of the hole) and ventilation openings in the floor and under the roof. Make a Side Door.
Please do not attract duck families and leave them vulnerable to predators. Significant reduction in predation has been achieved through proper location, installation and protection from predators.
Duck nest box management best practices have so drastically reduced duckling mortality that it's probably unwise to do it any other way. It's even easier. Metal posts, cone guards, near the water, above ground, within reach, side opening doors. No ladders or boats. Easier, safer, best success rates.
Visit the Wood Duck Society. Follow their tested and proven best practices.
Black-bellied Whistling Duck
(Black-bellied Tree Duck, Mexican Duck)
Dendrocygna autumnalis
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Dendrocygna
Species: autumnalis
La. anser goose
La. forma form, shape, kind
Gr. anous foolish
La. anas duck
La. idae appearance, resemblance
Gr. dendro tree
La. cygna swan
La. autumnalis autumn
Goose-like appearance. Long neck, long pink legs, pinkish bill and feet, brown eyes, mostly gray head and neck, brownish breast and back, and black belly and under tail coverts. Males and females look alike.

Northern black-bellied whistling ducks breed from southern Arizona and south-central and southeastern Texas through Mexico and Central America. A southern race breeds from Panama to southern Brazil and northern Argentina. Birds at the extreme northern and southern limits migrate.
They forage for aquatic plants, seeds, invertebrates and insects and forage in grain fields in the fall.
Black-bellied whistling ducks build nests of a few feathers and down in hollow trees over, near or sometimes a distance from water and sometimes on the ground. Nests have been discovered in barns, machinery, containers and chimneys.

They readily nest in nest boxes of the right dimensions in the right places.
Females lay about 9 to 18 white or cream-white eggs which hatch after about 4 weeks incubation. A day or two later parents lead ducklings to water where they learn to forage for insects, spiders and snails and they fly at about two months age. They raise two broods in a season.
Black-bellied Whistling Duck Nest Box
The black-bellied whistling duck nest box has a 12″ by 12″ floor, 22″ inside floor to ceiling, a very large 6″ wide by 4″ high entrance opening located 19″ above the floor (to the top of the hole) and ventilation openings in the floor and under the roof. Make a Side Door.
Please do not attract duck families and leave them vulnerable to predators. Significant reduction in predation has been achieved through proper location, installation and protection from predators.
Duck nest box management best practices have so drastically reduced duckling mortality that it's probably unwise to do it any other way. It's even easier. Metal posts, cone guards, near the water, above ground, within reach, side opening doors. No ladders or boats. Easier, safer, best success rates.
Visit the Wood Duck Society. Follow their tested and proven best practices.
Black-bellied Whistling Duck
(Black-bellied Tree Duck, Mexican Duck)
Birds | Birdhouses | Plans | Home
Dendrocygna autumnalis
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Dendrocygna
Species: autumnalis
La. anser goose
La. forma form, shape, kind
Gr. anous foolish
La. anas duck
La. idae appearance, resemblance
Gr. dendro tree
La. cygna swan
La. autumnalis autumn
Goose-like appearance. Long neck, long pink legs, pinkish bill and feet, brown eyes, mostly gray head and neck, brownish breast and back, and black belly and under tail coverts. Males and females look alike.

Northern black-bellied whistling ducks breed from southern Arizona and south-central and southeastern Texas through Mexico and Central America. A southern race breeds from Panama to southern Brazil and northern Argentina. Birds at the extreme northern and southern limits migrate.
They forage for aquatic plants, seeds, invertebrates and insects and forage in grain fields in the fall.
Black-bellied whistling ducks build nests of a few feathers and down in hollow trees over, near or sometimes a distance from water sometimes on the ground. Nests have been discovered in barns, machinery, containers and chimneys.
They readily nest in nest boxes of the right dimensions in the right places.
Females lay about 9 to 18 white or cream-white eggs which hatch after about 4 weeks incubation. A day or two later parents lead ducklings to water where they learn to forage for insects, spiders and snails and they fly at about two months age. They raise two broods in a season.
Black-bellied Whistling Duck Nest Box
The black-bellied whistling duck nest box has a 12″ by 12″ floor, 22″ inside floor to ceiling, a very large 6″ wide by 4″ high entrance opening located 19″ above the floor (to the top of the hole) and ventilation openings in the floor and under the roof.
Make a Side Opening Door for easy access.
Duck nest box management best practices have so drastically reduced duckling mortality that it's probably unwise to do it any other way. It's even easier. Metal posts, cone guards, near the water, above ground, within reach, side opening doors. No ladders or boats. Easier, safer, best success rates.
Visit the Wood Duck Society. Follow their tested and proven best practices.
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